What Is COP26 and Why is it So Important ?

At the moment COP26 is the new buzz work. Trending all over social media, and plastered over the news what is COP26 and why is it so trendy right now? And why is it so important?

What is COP26?

Many consider COP26 to be the world’s best last change of tackling climate change. As climate change is now a global priority, most experts believe COP26 has a unique urgency and will be a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change.

COP26 is the 2021 United Nations Climate Change conference. Over 190 world leaders are expected to arrive in the host city for 12 days of discussion with one goal in mind: to limit climate change. This November will see the UK, together with their partners Italy, host the significant event in hopes to get climate change under control.

It will be attended by all 196 countries that have signed the United Nationals Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a treaty agreed upon in 1994. The focus will be on building back better out of the Covid crisis, recovering in a way that supports a more sustainable future.

What does COP Stand For?

COP stands for Conference of the Parties. The meeting is an annual event which involves representatives from global organisations, climate experts, public speakers and more coming together to discuss the environment. For nearly three decades now the UN have been bright together almost ever country for this climate summits. As the 2021 meeting with the be the 26th meeting, this years conference is called COP26. The climate event was due to take place last year but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the UK will president CO26 the conference will now be held in Glasgow, and last a total of 12 days between 31st October and 12th November 2021.

What Happens at COP

COP aims to keep the world on track for meeting the goals set out in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) and the 2015 Paris Agreement. A key part of COP meetings is to review the contributions of each parties, and discover what can be done more to tackle climate change. Members who are also part of the Paris Agreement will showcase their countries plans to reduce their emissions by submitting a NDCS (Nationally Determined Contributions). These will then be reviewed and assessed to see whether they are enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Sometimes COP will results in new agreements, targets, or rules, however agreement must be consensus.

As hosts, the UK leading up to COP26 will work with every nation to reach agreement on how to tackle climate change. COP26 provides the UK with a great opportunity to become global leaders on climate action and to lead by example.

What is the Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is an internal agreement between the 195 countries that attended COP21 in Paris to come together and tackle climate change. It was the first time ever that almost every country around the world entered a legally binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions. The Paris Agreements states that each nation must:

Increase their usage of Renewable types of energy, such as solar, wind, and biomass, whilst also reducing the amount of greenhouse gases they produce.
Keep global temperature increase “well below” 2C (3.6F) and to try to limit it to 1.5C
Review progress made on the Paris agreement every five years
Spend $100 billion dollars a year in climate finance to help poorer countries handle Climate change up to 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.

The Goals of COP26

According to the official COP26 website, there are 4 keys areas that COP26 will focus on.

1. Secure Global Net Zero

With Goals to reach Net Zero by the middle of the century, countries are being asked to deliver their plans to reduce emissions by 2030.

In order to reach Net Zero by 2030, countries will need to demonstrate at CO26 how they attend to:

Accelerate the the transitions to Electric Vehicles.
Encourage the investment of Renewable energies such as Solar PV and Wind Energy.
Phase-out fossil fuels such as Coal.
Reduce Deforestation.

2. Protect Communities

Even as we plan to reduce emissions the climate is already changing. Icecaps are melting, the earth is warming and sea levels are on the rise. Resulting in more natural events such as heatwaves, floods and forest fires, in which the lowest performing countries will suffer the most.

That’s why at COP26 we need to work together to help countries affected by climate change by:

Helping to protect and restore ecosystems that have already been damaged.
Building defence and warning systems to protect infrastructure.

3. Financing

Economically developed countries must contribute at least $100bn in climate finance per year in order to achieve the first two goals

International financial institutions must play their part in financing climate action.

4. Working Together

COP26 must unite governments, businesses, and countries to work together.

Finalise the rules which will guide the Paris Agreement.
Find news ways to collaborate in action against the climate crisis.

Why Does COP Exist?

From the poorest of countries to the wealthiest, COP is a chance for everyone to voice their opinions and concerns. It’s no hidden secret that we can’t solve climate change individually and that the world is experiencing extreme weather conditions. The world is now about 1.2C warmer than it was in the 19th century. In order to build a sustainable future, cooperation is needed. If you are a UK home or business owner looking to play your part in creating a sustainable future, consider our 5 ways to Go Solar.